


Baby on Board

by KatrinaKenyon



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-19 23:29:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7381873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatrinaKenyon/pseuds/KatrinaKenyon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex isn't exactly the maternal type, but when her assignment is to watch over an adorable alien baby, she learns how to be with the help of General Astra In-Ze.</p><p>or Alex and Astra acquire a baby.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Baby on Board

 

A tiny, squirming alien baby is placed in Alex’s arms before she has any time to protest. The little thing is chubby, human-looking, and absurdly cute.

She stares up at Hank in bewilderment.

“I’m too busy to look after him myself and after me, you have the most experience raising juvenile aliens,” Hank tells her.

She looks down dubiously at the infant in her arms, swaddled in a soft blue blanket. He shakes a tiny fist at her as if upset at being put in the arms of a clearly inexperienced caretaker.

“I didn’t raise Kara.” She protests. “Besides, she was a pre-teen when she came to us. Hank, I have no practical training in infant care.”

Hank shrugs and the corners of his mouth quirk up into something like a smile. “You’ll be fine and it’s only until we find his family or place him with a foster family.”

“And how long will that take?”

“A few days tops.” She thinks she sees a twinkle in his eyes. He is definitely enjoying this. “I’ll contact you as soon as I know.”

She watches him leave and turns to Lucy, their newly appointed Assistant Director, who has been observing the entire exchange with lips pressed tightly together, suppressing a smile. She’s glad so many people find this situation entertaining.

“Lucy,” she says and then instantly hates how whiney her voice sounds.

Lucy grins at her. “Sorry Agent Danvers, I don’t really have the time. Got a lot of assistant directoring to do.” She winks at her and then walks away.  
  
Alex rolls her eyes. That traitor.

 

Kara is out fighting crime or whatever robberies and car accidents the day brings and has taken Astra with her. The General now works for the DEO as a consultant, but is still in the probationary period. Astra helped them take out MYRIAD and Non before anything could happen, which was a start, but doesn’t completely make up for the fact that she was the leader of a group of criminals and has attacked the city and Supergirl multiple times.

Alex is technically Astra’s handler, but Astra was a former General, a scientist, and an expert strategist. She hasn’t exactly been taking her new downgraded position well. Astra never directly disobeys an order, but sometimes she takes her sweet time completing a task. Alex thinks it’s mostly to annoy her. It’s not that they don’t get along. They are at least civilized with each other, but unlike Kara, the General doesn’t trust her completely. This is a slight problem seeing as how Astra is also her roommate.

Her roommate who uses all the hot water, is irritatingly cheerful in the morning, and takes pleasure in pointing out how puny and weak her species is. Astra is also annoyingly observant and watches her constantly. Astra tells her that she is learning to be more human to fit in better and Alex is her model. She has become a glorified science project. Begrudgingly, Alex agrees that Astra is getting better at blending in and lets her continue with her observations, however annoying they may be. Besides, the quicker Astra picks up on colloquial English and pop culture, the better. She’s tired of having to explain everything. She can just picture Astra now, listening to her and Kara’s conversations with arms crossed, brow wrinkled in confusion, and becoming increasingly frustrated.  
  
“Why would you even put a cat in a bag? Does this not seem cruel to you?”

“If she’s not a Queen, then why do you call her the Queen of all Media?”

“It is not winter and I am not skating. How can I be on thin ice, Alexandra?”

Astra has been great with Kara though. They go flying together and Astra teaches her more about Krypton and her family. Kara is thrilled with this new arrangement. Her sister has never been happier, which fills Alex with just the tiniest hint of jealousy and that in turn makes her feel like a shitty person. Kara deserves the best after everything she’s gone through.

Kara is probably the only thing that she and Astra can agree on. If Astra has any fondness for her, it’s only because of her devotion to her sister. This is somewhat of a problem as Alex finds herself becoming increasingly attracted to Astra as the days go on.

It’s her intelligence that really gets Alex hot and bothered. The General’s mind is a wondrous thing, she is brilliant and quick-witted. She can make connections and deductions like no other person Alex has ever met. Astra’s specialties lie in geology, physics, and chemistry, but she has a mind for tactical planning that was probably the reason she rose so quickly in ranks on Krypton.

Alex isn’t an idiot, she actually does pretty well for herself. She considers herself to be an interdisciplinarian scientist with expert knowledge of multiple fields of study. She has a bachelor’s degree, two masters degrees, and a PhD. She has published multiple articles, pulled in some pretty sweet grants, and has gained some recognition from her work. She’s also a damn good agent, but regardless of all her achievements next to Astra she pretty much feels like a kindergartener.

  
  
The baby in her arms begins to whimper, pulling her out of her thoughts, and she feels panic rise up in her. She has never taken care of a baby, never even babysat one. It’s not that she doesn’t like kids, it’s just that she doesn’t have any clue with what to do with them. She doesn’t know the proper protocols. She isn’t prepared, when she is usually always ready to go with plans and backup plans.

A whoosh of air and the clatter of boots on the ground tells her that Kara and Astra are back, but the noise upsets the alien baby more. The way his face scrunches up tells her that a massive crying jag is about to happen. She has a sudden urge to place the baby on the ground and walk away slowly. He is a ticking time bomb. When she turns around she is greeted by the sight of two smiling Kryptonians.

Kara’s face lights up with delight when she spots the little baby. “Oh Alex! He’s adorable!”

Astra murmurs in agreement with Kara and looks down at the infant fondly.

“Where did he come from?”

She doesn’t answer Kara, too preoccupied with the monsoon of tears that is soon to happen. She rocks the baby in her arms, hoping to quell the little mews of discontentment that are growing louder with each second.

“Alex, you look terrified.” She can hear the smile in her sister’s voice.

She lets out a sigh of relief when Kara takes the baby. He instantly goes quiet.

Kara looks at her in amusement, a grin ready to break forth. “I forgot that you’re scared of babies.”

Astra snorts in amusement behind her.

“I’m not scared of them,” she objects, but when Kara holds out the baby to her, she steps back instinctively and bumps into Astra who chuckles and puts a steadying hand on her hip. She feels her body heat up at the contact and hopes that Astra can’t see the effect she has on her.

“I’m not,” she says again. “I just don’t know what to do with them. They’re so tiny Kara. What if I drop it? I can’t be responsible for damaging that baby.”

Kara is shaking with laughter now. Out of the two of them, her sister has always been the more maternal one.

“His name is Liam and we found him alone at the residence of known aliens,” she explains. “There were signs of a break-in and a struggle, but it was unclear whether the parents were still alive. Hank is out looking for them and he left this little guy in my care in the meantime. Please tell me, you’ll help me with this assignment?” She begs.

Kara pretends to think about it just to torture her and then says, “I will, but for a price.”

Her sister is such a brat sometimes.

She sighs a long suffering sigh. “What do you want?”

“Pot stickers! All the pot stickers I can eat next movie night and…” Her sister grins at her in a way that tells her she’s not going to like what comes out of her mouth next. “I get to borrow your leather jacket for a week.”

“My jacket?! What? No. You can have the pots tickers, but you can’t have my jacket.”

“But I’ll look so cool in it,” Kara whines. “Do you really want to change his diapers?”

She’s vaguely aware of Astra watching their sisterly spat. At least she’s getting some insight into what it was like growing up with Kara.

She throws her hands up in defeat. “Fine. You can borrow my jacket, but if you ruin it, you are dead to me.”

Kara rolls her eyes and says, “Dramatic much?”

She’s about to reply when Agent Vazquez interrupts. “Supergirl, we’ve got an armed robbery on 10th and Main.”

Kara nods and then quickly hands the baby back to her. She’s gone in a flash, but Astra remains behind. Alex repositions the baby till he’s lying more comfortably in her arms.

 

“Oh Rao, what do I do with you,” she whispers.

Astra looks at her curiously when she invokes the name of Rao. She’s used to this look. She forgets how many Kryptonian phrases and behaviors she’s picked up from Kara over the years. When they were little Kara told her everything she could about Krypton and even taught her how to speak Kryptonese. She’s not exactly fluent, but she can hold her own in a conversation. Her accent is definitely better than Kal-El’s.

Alex isn’t usually clumsy, but during her second week with Astra as her roommate, she had stubbed her toe on the coffee table and let loose a string of Kryptonian swears that she would never dare say in front her mother. Astra’s book had clattered to the ground and from the couch she stared up at her, gray-green eyes wide in surprise.

“Sorry,” she had apologized, cheeks tinged with red.

She knew that Kara’s family was high born and she basically just swore in front of a Lady. For all of Astra’s rough edges, she was also cultured and elegant.

_“You speak Kryptonese?”_

She had paused at this. Besides Kara and Kal-El, she had never heard anyone else speak Kryptonese fluently. Coming from Astra, every word sounded beautiful and melodic.

_“Kara taught me some when we were children.”_

Astra had given her an appraising look and then in English said, “Your accent isn’t terrible.”

She shakes herself out of her memories. Astra is suddenly standing close to her peering at the now sleeping baby’s face with something like longing. She can smell the fruity scent of Astra’s shampoo and her heart beats just a tiny bit faster. The look of longing disappears the second Astra realizes she’s being scrutinized.

Astra looks at her and then back at the baby and says, “If I help you, do I also get to borrow your jacket?”

Alex groans, but honestly she doesn’t think she’ll mind the General wearing her leather jacket. She will definitely look badass and maybe a little hot.

“Fine, you get to wear the jacket too.”

 

They stop at Hank’s office first, which is full of infant necessities taken from the house where Liam was found. They go back to the Alex’s apartment where she proceeds to watch Astra, who is a natural by the way, take care of the baby. Liam is fed, burped, and changed into a clean diaper in quick succession, and then put down for a nap.

She’s a little jealous of Astra. She can’t help it. The woman is basically good at everything she does and is ridiculously gorgeous to boot. It’s kind of unfair.

“I used to watch over Kara when she was young,” Astra had explained.

She sits quietly at the kitchen counter and watches as Astra cleans a baby bottle at the sink. Astra’s outfit today consists of dark jeans and a flowy plum colored top. She’s Astra, so she looks incredible in it. Alex can’t help but miss when the General still wore those catsuits all the time. Now she only wears them for work.

“Is there a reason you’re so uneasy around infants,” the General asks after a few minutes in silence have passed.

“I just don’t know what to do with them.” It’s not a lie, but it’s also not the truth, not really. “No it’s…it’s….” She sputters and stops.

She realizes that she has never told the truth to anyone before, but Astra is looking over her shoulder at her with something like concern, but more. She has seen Astra give this look to Kara many times, but maybe only once to her. Right after that one time she threw herself in front of Kara without thinking. Her ribs still ache from the incident.

“It’s not that I’m afraid of babies. It’s….” She pauses again.

She has never put this thought into words. She has always felt guilty for wanting this particular dream. Her job is to protect Kara, it always has been and it always will be her duty and she is glad to do it. She loves her sister more than anything in this life. She would choose her happiness over her own every time.

She does it so Kara can have choices. So she can be a superhero and also have a normal life, so that one day Kara can get married if she wants and have children. Everything she does is for her sister and at the end of the day, there really isn’t room for anything else in her own life. Marriage and kids weren’t in her cards. She could live with that, if it meant Kara was safe and happy.

At her continued silence, Astra puts the bottle down and turns around to give her her full attention. The General’s gaze is unnerving. It pierces through her and she thinks that maybe Astra already knows. Didn’t she give up everything to save Krypton, so that her sister and Kara would survive?

“It’s not babies I’m afraid of,” she begins again. “It’s wanting babies that I’m afraid of.”

Astra’s brow furrows at this and she wants to reach over a smooth it out.

“I’ve dedicated my life to protecting Kara and it’s a full time job. I do it because she deserves the best. Her old life was taken away from her. She should be able to live the life she wants here on earth. Falling in love, getting married, having kids one day. Those things aren’t for me. I’m afraid to want these things, that’s why I’m afraid of babies.”

She keeps her eyes trained on the counter, embarrassed at this emotional outburst. She doesn’t want to see how pathetic the General thinks she is.

A slender finger tips her chin up and she is suddenly staring into Astra’s eyes. She is frozen in place, unable to look away.

“You are the most remarkable human being I have ever meet, Alexandra. So brave and so incredibly selfless. I am pleased that Kara has such a devoted sister, but my Little One is stronger than we know. As much as it may pain you, one day she may not be as reliant on you as she is now. She will always need you, but right now she is still learning her trade. She would not want you to deprive yourself of these things either,” Astra chides. “You are allowed to want these things.”

Alex is speechless. She has always thought that Astra merely tolerated her.

“I told you twins were rare on Krypton. When the Krypton gene pool was purified, the occurrence of twins disappeared. The fact that I am unable to have children is a defect I believe the Codex generated to accommodate for the mistake of twins. I was thrilled when Kara was born. I love her like she is my own. Watching her grow up was truly a gift. However, General or not, if I could have had children I would have. As for marriage, marrying for love isn’t uncommon on Krypton, but Non was a marriage of convenience. He was high born, which satisfied my parents, and we were both dedicated to the cause. I believe if things had been different, if we had had more time…” Astra trails off. “There is nothing wrong with you wanting those things.”

Alex feels a single finger strokes her cheek and it reminds her of the first time she meet Astra, after the Hellgrammite.

Her eyes flutter closed at the touch, but only for a second before she realizes that this is Astra. Her sister’s Aunt, who is an alien and her roommate, and a general who once led an army of dangerous alien criminals. She should probably not be falling for her.

There is an unreadable look in Astra’s eyes. She opens her mouth to speak, but before any words can escape her, Liam begins to cry.

Astra grabs her hand firmly and pulls her towards the travel crib that is set up in living room. The next thing she knows Liam is in her arms and Astra is teaching her how to properly hold and soothe the baby. Astra is very close to her. Her face only mere inches away as they both lean over the baby in her arms. A startlingly white lock of hair falls down and tickles the baby’s nose and without thinking she reaches up to push that lock behind the General’s ear. She hears a slight hitch in Astra’s breath and hope blossoms in her chest.

She has seen Astra with Kara and knows that she can be warm and loving. It’s just different seeing it this up close. It clashes with the image she has of Astra as this fierce warrior. She has felt comradery with Astra because they are so much more alike than Alex ever thought, but this sort of intimacy is new and not unwelcome.

 

The night is long and full of crying and for the most part she takes care of Liam by herself. She is proud of herself, but gets no sleep. The sun is starting to rise and she curls up on the couch with the baby in her arms. She finally gets him to fall back asleep, but is too tired to move now. She drifts off and wakes up with a warmth surrounding her. Her sleep muddled mind doesn’t register the presence behind her and she dozes off once more.

When Alex awakes again, she doesn’t open her eyes. It’s too bright. The baby is gone, but she hears his little snores from the corner of the room where his crib is. She can feel that she is leaning back against something, someone, and that arms are wrapped loosely around her. She feels safe and warm and content in a way she has never really experienced before. She smells the fruity scent of Astra’s shampoo and tries to keep very still. She doesn’t want this moment to end, this taste of a dream she lets herself want again.

Astra whispers softly to her. “Go back to sleep.”

Alex had been holding her breath without noticing in her effort to keep still. She freezes up at the sound of Astra’s voice, but relaxes when she feels fingers combing through her hair. She hums happily and then settles more comfortably in Astra’s arms.

She’s not sure what this means, but she figures it’s a good start. 

**Author's Note:**

> Did you guys catch the Hamilton reference? Couldn't help myself.


End file.
